Preview: FF #4

Jonathan Hickman's FF series is only two issues in, and it's fairly intriguing so far. The outfits are snazzy, Spider-Man is on the team, Reed Richards has contacted many of his enemies for some sort of meeting of the minds, Ben Grimm and Susan Richards are bristling a bit within this conclave of eggheads, and Valeria Richards has made a deal to restore Dr. Doom to his rightful state in exchange for his help in defeating Reed… somehow. That's right, Reed and his family helped restore his deadliest enemy to his proper threat level status – although we did get to see him tempted towards the unethical in the process.

With this preview of FF #4, we see that aforementioned meeting of the minds in progress, and it's important enough to merit the Watcher's attention. Or maybe Uatu's just fascinated with the fact that the High Evolutionary has a handle on his head for no discernible reason. Dr. Doom, Diablo, the Mad Thinker, the Wingless Wizard and an A.I.M. representative all in the same room as the Richards geniuses. Is this a brave new world where fences are mended with the FF's enemies, or are they just uniting in the face of a greater threat?

The arc beginning here is called "War of the Four Cities," and the description states that there's going to be a swath of destruction led by their greatest foes – from Atlantis to the Negative Zone to Subterranea and to the Inhuman Citadel – and Dr. Doom will have an opportunity to redeem himself. Of course, redemption doesn't mean the same thing to normal people as it does to Victor Von Doom.

Check out these preview pages from FF#4, due out in May from artist Barry Kitson.